Former Port Vale favourite Peter Swan has sprung to the defence of Stoke teenager Josh Tymon after he was criticised for leaving Hull City in the summer.

Hull vice chairman Ehab Allam claimed the 18 year-old left back made the wrong choice because he would now be a regular first-teamer had he remained with the Championship club.

But Swan, in his regular column in the Hull Daily Mail, says Tymon was right to join a Premier League club even if he is having to wait for his top-flight debut at Stoke City.

He says: "I feel he made the right decision for himself in leaving the club. The owners will disagree selfishly but as a young player you want to be playing around the best players possible in order to improve and develop and he will be reaping the financial rewards that come with it.

"The fact is the club tried to keep the youngster by offering him professional terms on two occasions.

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"While obviously I have no idea what the offers were, both the player and his agent felt the offers were not acceptable.

"In my opinion, if the club really wanted to keep Tymon at the club they should have given him the assurances and the money that would match his squad status this season and, therefore, it is unfair to criticise the lad.

"It’s a short career being a footballer and if you can get more money and better assurances and the chance to improve yourself elsewhere then as a young player why wouldn’t you take that?

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"The whole situation was mismanaged and it should not have been allowed to get to the point where he can leave the club in such a manner – and I think it is unfair to judge him for pursuing pastures new.

"He might not be playing week in, week out at Stoke but at the end of the day he’s gone there to learn his trade, he’ll be learning every day working alongside a talented squad and a manager who has played and managed at the top level for a long time.

"A loan move might come to fruition in January in which case he can emerge and really prove himself but there won’t be a single part of him regretting the move."